In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

"Backyard Blacksmithing" pounding iron on the forge this evening!

Discussion in 'Hobbies and Interests' started by blacksmith, Dec 18, 2016.

  1. metalcuttr

    metalcuttr

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    A few Blacksmithing tools came my way. A friend dropped off the two tongs a few days ago. One is obviously a generic pliers type. The other he said was possibly a spring depressor where you heat the spring, depress it then plunge into water to harden it in the depressed state. I don't know. The grabber device I've had for a while. Many say it is a camp fire firewood placer but if it is it would be very awkward. A search on the web told me it was originally a Blacksmith clinker grabber that a smith would use to remove clinkers from his glowing forge. I like the idea of a clinker grabber! The only thing I know for sure is that a young bull would not be happy about seeing it in your hands!! tongs1.jpg tongs2.jpg tongs3.jpg tongs4.jpg
     
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  2. blacksmith

    blacksmith

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    Those are some nice old tools metalcuttr! Sweet score.:thumbs:
     
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  3. fishingpol

    fishingpol

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    Nice tools metalcuttr, The three prong tool I thought was for lifting something out of a hole or furnace, but it is not heavy duty enough and no positive pressure to secure a crucible. It is not a clinker remover. Most forges had a clinker breaker lever right in the tuyere.

    The claws look drop forged or cast, so I'm thinking mass produced to an extent. After a short nap my wild guess would be a tool used in a textile mill to set or retrieve spools out of the looms or along that line. My other thought since it is almost supper is a tool to rotate smoke shoulders or meat logs or cheese in a smokehouse. Again, wild guesses.
     
  4. fishingpol

    fishingpol

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    Any projects happening here? My shop is packed away til at least mid-May, so I have nothing to show for.
     
  5. J. Dirt

    J. Dirt

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    Same here.... everything has been sitting since Christmas. :picard:
     
  6. blacksmith

    blacksmith

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    Nope everything has been idle since I made those hinges for Cole. Tree work has been very busy!
     
  7. imwiley1

    imwiley1

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    Come on you guys, get to hammering! I love seeing what you all make.
     
  8. J. Dirt

    J. Dirt

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    I’ve got to clean up the shop and sort the dozen or so saw projects and even assemble the new toolbox I’ve had for over two months in the box!!!:picard: I’ve even got room to build my new smithy after burning the wood that was stacked there. Hopefully this spring will be action packed here!!
     
  9. Midwinter

    Midwinter

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    Chinese iron workers making a fence
     
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  10. Midwinter

    Midwinter

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    I thought this was cool, using a meteorite in a sword.
     
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  11. blacksmith

    blacksmith

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    That is pretty cool. I've seen a few things made out of meteorites. It really pops when they acid etch it.
    That's definitely an expensive sword. I think I heard that meteorites are more expensive than gold. Or was that moon rock? Huh?
     
  12. Chaz

    Chaz

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    Very cool.
    :dex::dex:
     
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  13. fishingpol

    fishingpol

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    All my stuff is still packed away, but I keep looking for tools and stock. I responded to a FB market ad and picked up two totes full of scrap from around barns and old buildings. I saw an axe head in the tote picture and figured nothing to lose there.

    Here is most of it sorted out. The top two axe heads are cracked. I might be able to make them into trade hatchets somehow.

    The two right axe heads are intriguing. One is coated in concrete. I'm thinking early hewing axes with the round edges. I'll clean the dirt out of the eyes and look how they were made.

    Some of this I may be able to repurpose.

    20190724_180147.jpg

    20190724_180155.jpg

    20190724_180158.jpg
    I really miss forging, but I'm not ready to set up any time soon. I hope others can get back into it when the weather cools.

    My friend will be giving me trailer leaf springs in a few weeks. I hope I can make a trade knife or two out of them. I have not had luck with spring steel, so I'll try again.
     
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  14. Well Seasoned

    Well Seasoned Administrator

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    Sweet score! I look forward to seeing what you come up with when your ready to forge again!
     
  15. J. Dirt

    J. Dirt

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    I can’t wait until the 900 projects I’ve got going are done so I can get back at it! Although I did get a request today to make a horse hoof pick. Going to have to research this one since I’m not familiar with them at all.
    fishingpol Looks like you got yourself a nice score of goodies right there!
     
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  16. blacksmith

    blacksmith

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    If you want some spring steel fishingpol I can send you some. I have a some large coil springs out of a locomotive truck. I can torch you off a piece and send it your way if you like.
    I do know that working with this steel after I heated it to an orange and let it air cool so it would be a little softer (it was for some bucking spikes for a saw and needed to be cut). Well the guy that I made it for went to shear it with industrial shears and it exploded! It was still pretty dang hard! Now that some hard steel.

    The spring itself is almost 2" in diameter. You could make on heck of a hammer or ax out of a small chunk.

    Let me know!
     
  17. fishingpol

    fishingpol

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    Thank you for the offer Joe. The trailer leaf spring will be fine for a knife blade. I do have to read up on spring steel and what color to work it. Starting from thinner stock will be easier on the arm too.
     
  18. blacksmith

    blacksmith

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    So true on the thin stuff being easier on the arm.

    I know that you pretty much have to get it to
    yellow in order to start moving it efficiently by hand. When it gets to a bright orange it doesn't want to move to well. Then again I was working with 3/8" to 1/2" spring steel. And that was with Scotty holding the stock and I was swinging an 8 lb sledge.

    From what I've read don't let it get to a red to dull red and forge it. This causes a lot of stress fractures. Once it gets to a red color you might as well be beating it cold it doesn't move worth a crap.
     
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  19. Midwinter

    Midwinter

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    fishingpol would this be of interest to you? If so, I could pick it up, it's close to home.
    Iron Bars 00808_gwQ4Fr5ZobB_600x450.jpg
     
  20. J. Dirt

    J. Dirt

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    Did a little work yesterday. Made a set of curtain rod hangers quick. D4507142-E5F0-4FDD-BCAE-918E53FA0428.jpeg Then started on some strap iron book ends. Here’s 1 of 4. My wife saw some pictures of these online so I gave it a shot. 3 more to go when I get a few minutes. 5C288089-E6B3-4769-8C72-B91E4D7FC18D.jpeg 017200FD-31A1-4318-8398-813DA237A10D.jpeg